What you need to know…

To ensure your safety and that of other students, staff and patients, all students completing a clinical placement need to become formally verified to work in a NSW Health facility.

This means complying with immunisation and health-screening policies, and providing a criminal background check from the NSW or federal police force. Refer to our checklist below for a complete list of required documents to process your verification.

The requirements of verification are mandatory – if you cannot meet them, you cannot attend a clinical placement and this may affect your ability to progress in your degree.

Your faculty will advise you if you need to apply for a Working with Children Check before your placement.

If your outcome is a clearance, the check can be used for any child-related work (paid or voluntary) in NSW.

Students, volunteers and those who are already in paid child-related work don’t need to apply for the new check now; it will be phased in over a five-year period (up to 2018) according to the industry sector.

Please note that students on a professional placement are considered volunteers and are not liable for the application fee.

If we become aware that a student is a disqualified person, we cannot refer that student to a child-related placement or allow a placement to continue.

Schedule 2 of the Act lists disqualifying offences that will automatically bar you from working with children. A person convicted of (or awaiting trial for) any of these offences will be barred automatically.

The University is required to take appropriate measures to safeguard the health and safety of its students and people who may be affected by a student’s activities, including while on professional or clinical placement.

You need to take reasonable care for your own health and safety, and that of others.

You also need to inform us if you have an impairment that is likely to affect your capacity to fulfil safely the core requirements of a professional or clinical placement.

In this context, an impairment refers to a physical disability, condition or disorder (including substance abuse or dependence).

We’re required by legislation to notify the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) of students who have an impairment that, during the course of a clinical placement as part of their degree, may place the public at substantial risk of harm.

Your information is collected for the purpose of assisting the University of Sydney to exercise its duty of care to students who are undertaking clinical placements and those who may be affected by a student’s activities on placement.

The information will be held by the University and will not be disclosed outside the University without your consent except where required or authorised by law.

You have the right to access and correct personal information about you held by the University.